Murdoch Ahoy
"Murdoch Ahoy" is the premiere episode of Season 7 and is the 79th overall episode of Murdoch Mysteries. Summary The episode begins with William Murdoch and Thomas Brackenreid about to board the S.S. Keewatin, which is about to leave on her maiden voyage, on official police business. They go to talk to Clarence MacFarlane. The scene then switches to Elizabeth MacFarlane talking to her daughter, Amy, and they go out to talk to introduce themselves to William and Thomas, along with Clarence and Amy’s fiance, Owen Matthews. Clarence then shows them a Death of the Maiden postcard he has received the very same morning. Thomas wonders how this is a threat, and William asks him if he should still sail. Murdoch and Brackenreid go to the deck, to talk about whether they should stay on board or not, and they agree it seems like a vague threat. Then William turns around and sees Julia on the upper deck, and he decides to stay on board. In the next scene, William and Julia are talking on the upper deck as the ship begins to sail. They talk about the threat, and then their relationship. Amy comes up to them and is distressed. William offers her his hankerchief and tells her to keep it. After she leaves, William and Julia talk about how romantic the sea is. They lean in for a kiss, and then they hear a scream (“Man overboard!”) and they run to the port side of the ship. A hat, similar to the one Amy MacFarlane was wearing earlier, is seen in the water. Someone calls “Sound the alarm!” and it begins to ring. The scene changes to Higgins and George in Station House 4, where they walk in and see the Queen’s picture, and take off their helmets. Dr. Grace approaches them and is very excited that Annie Taylor is in town and is giving a lecture. She asks George if he would like to go, but Murdoch has asked him to remain at the station house so he can’t go. Higgins says that he is free to escort her if she would like, but Emily does not look impressed, and George tells him that if he has to stay, so does he. Henry leaves. Emily tells George “I think he’s making advances” and George denies it, saying he’s just trying to be gallant. Back on the boat, Murdoch is interviewing a young man, Johnny, who had rang the alarm after hearing the man overboard call. He says he saw her go into the water. On the upper deck, Thomas is interviewing Clarence, asking if his daughter could swim. Murdoch joins them, and asks if it was possible that Amy had committed suicide. He says never, and that she was to be married. He excuses himself, saying he must return to his wife. Murdoch and Thomas discuss how she may have gone overboard. They then talk to Owen, Amy’s fiance, asking where he was when Amy went overboard. He claims to have been inside his cabin. Owen tells them that he had an argument with Amy earlier because she was speaking to another man. He didn’t know who it was, though. Julia is then seen talking to Elizabeth, giving her a drink. Clarence and Murdoch are also in the room. A stewart comes to the room to deliver the retrieved hat. Elizabeth says that it is Amy’s hat, but Murdoch takes Brackenreid outside the room, and tells him that that was not her hat, and it was not on Amy’s head when it went into the water. They are seen next talking to Johnny, the man who rang the bell. He admits to not actually seeing anyone in the water, and not actually yelling man overboard. He just rang the alarm. Back in the room, William tells Amy’s parents it is possible Amy is still alive. Julia suggests that this is what the postcard could have been about. Clarence orders that every cabin and every room be searched. He says that she must have been kidnapped. Elizabeth suggests Amy could have set this up herself. William then asks if it is possible to communicate to his stationhouse, and goes to the telegraph room to send a message. Back at the station, George tells Henry that they have just received a telegram from Murdoch. Henry is not impressed, but George is. Murdoch has asked they look into the background of Amy MacFarlane. Then an eldery lady comes in, and introduces herself as Annie Taylor. George remembers the lecture Emily asked him to, and he asks Annie why she isn't there. She says she can't give a lecture without her barrel, which is missing. On the boat, Murdoch, Brackenreid and Julia are talking about Amy's disappearance. Murdoch thinks she had something to do with it. Julia disagrees. They are then approached by a young lady by the name of Doreen Jarvis, who was a friend of Amy's. She thinks she may have seen her heading down to the lower decks, the cargo hold, in maid's clothing. Doreen says she saw her after the alarm was sounded. They head down there, calling her name, and find a trunk. They open it and discover a dead body inside. It isn't Amy though- it's a young man. Clarence joins them in the next scene and he says he didn't know the man. Julia inspects the body and finds a wound that looks like a gunshot. Brackenreid asks if it was but Julia says she can't be sure until after the post-mortem. They find indentification on him, and learn his name was Neville Morton. At the station, Annie is telling George about her Falls experience. They get back to the disappearance of her barrel. She says she saw three young men take her barrel backstage but Annie does not believe they took it. She thinks it was her manager. Then Higgins comes in, saying they have recieved another telegraph from Murdoch, asking them to look into Neville Morton. In the ship somewhere, Julia performs the post mortem and determines he's been dead for about an hour. Julia shows Murdoch what the weapon looks like. In the cargo, Brackenreid asks Murdoch what the weapon is, and he guesses it is some type of tool. Murdoch searches around the cargo and happens to find the murder weapon -a screwdriver- in his hankerchief, that he had given to Amy MacFarlane. Murdoch, Brackenreid and Julia talk to Amy's parents. Murdoch tells them about Amy's sighting and the hankerchief, and believes she is involved somehow. They recieve a telegraph about Neville Morton, and learn that he spent time in jail for bombing a bank. Murdoch says that the threat made against him may be real, and Brackenreid adds that it may be time to tell them about Clarence's enemies. Clarence tells them that Linus Calvert is on board. Murdoch and Brackenreid talk to Linus, but Linus says that if he were to bomb a boat, he wouldn't be sailing on it. In the next scene, Murdoch and Brackenreid talk to Doreen about Neville Morton. She say she hasn't heard of him, but then asks if he had dark hair. She then admits to seeing another man with Amy, from a distance. Doreen also reveals that Amy wanted to break off her engagement with Owen, but idn't know how to tell her parents. Murdoch, Brackenreid and Julia discuss this after, and Julia asks to speak with her parents. Julia tells them about Neville but Clarence and Elizabeth don't believe Amy could have set this up because she loved them. Meanwhile, Murdoch speaks to Owen about the mystery man. Owen says he knew nothing about it. He admits to seeing Amy talking to another man, and became suspicous after Amy wouldn't tell him who it was. Murdoch asks if he had dark hair, and Owen tells him he did. Just then, a steward comes in and gives a maid's hat to Murdoch, saying it was found in the cargo hold. Maids don't go to the lower deck, and Murdoch goes down to the cargo to investigate. There is a man down there, and Murdoch chases him and catches the man, which turns out to be Johnny, on the next floor. Brackenreid joins them and they interview Johnny, who was on his break and decided to go down to the cargo. Murdoch tells him that he was about to open a trunk, and asks Johnny what he was expecting to find in it. Johnny then asks what happened to Amy, and Brackenreid asks him what he knows about her. Johnny tells them Amy was supposed to be in the trunk "as that was the plan". Brackenreid pieces the puzzle together and realizes that Johnny was the man seeing Amy. Johnny tells them that this was the only way and that her parents would never understand. Then Murdoch accuses him of indeed yelling the man overboard call, and Johnny admits to it. He said that she hid in the air intake and that he had left clothes for her- a maid's uniform. She was supposed to hide in the trunk until the boat reached Rochester, and then they would run away. Brackenreid asks how Neville Morton fits into all this, and Johnny says he doesn't know who that is. Murdoch and Brackenreid discuss this with Julia and they decide to believe Johnny. Back at the station house, Annie Taylor and her manager are arguing over the barrel, while a frustrated George watches them. Emily inturrupts and needs to talk to George. She tells him her skeleton, Shelley, is missing. Emily is very agitated about her missing skeleton model and George promises to find it. Then Slugger Jackson comes over, looking flustered (according to George) and tells them that his constable's hat is missing. George reflects on the missing items. Night has fallen on the boat. Murdoch and Brackenreid walk in on Clarence and Owen arguing about Amy. Clarence tells them that he has recieved a telegram that there are two bombs on board the ship. Brackenreid tells them they need to evacuate everyone, and that they have one hour to find two bombs. They look at maps of the boat and determine where the bombs could be. They split up in search for them, and head to the cargo. They don't find anything, and then Murdoch suggests that they are between the hull. Murdoch then understands that that's why the bomber needed the special screwdriver. Julia talks to Elizabeth about Amy and Johnny. Elizabeth denies it and says that Amy would never do that to her. Back in the cargo, they crack open a panel on the side of the boat with the screwdriver and find the first bomb. It's set to midnight, as the telegram said it would be. Murdoch disarms it, and they start searching for the second one. It is also hidden in a panel, but the time it is set to is 11:00pm... an hour early. That is the current time. Murdoch yells "RUN!" and seconds after, the bomb explodes and the boat is seen from the side, going up as the bomb explodes. Water starts rushing in to the boat very fast. Owen tries to shut the watertight doors, but it seems to be stuck. Murdoch takes a look at discovers it is broken. Clarence runs off to send distress signals and Owen to evacuate everyone. Brackenreid asks his famous "What the hell just happened?" and Murdoch decides he wants to read the telegram himself. They run to the upper deck. Brackenreid tells everyone in the dining room that the ship is sinking and everyone is to evacuate the boat in an orderly fashion. Johnny comes up to Murdoch and asks if Amy has been found, but Murdoch tells him not yet. Then Julia runs up to Murdoch and hugs him. She asks if he is all right and heard there was an explosion. Murdoch tells her he is fine, but the ship is sinking and she needs to get off the boat. Julia asks about Amy. Murdoch tells her that she needs to get off the ship and into a lifeboat. She tells him "Not without you!" Julia insists on staying with him, and Murdoch agrees. He takes her hand and says "Come along". Brackenreid is seen taking someone's drink. Water is seen flowing in and people are evacuating the boat. Murdoch and Julia go to the telegraph room to ask about the bomb telegram. The dispatcher says there was not a telegram about a bomb and he was very sure. Amy is then seen, gagged and trapped in a trunk, with water coming up. The captain is seen firing distress signals into the sky. Up on the top deck, Clarence is trying to convince Elizabeth to board a lifeboat, but she won't without Amy. Murdoch, Brackenreid and Julia join them and Julia tries to help Elizabeth but she won't board without Amy, who is seen with even more water in the trunk. Murdoch asks why Clarence did not show him the telegram. He is angered and asks why he is bringing it up right now. Murdoch tells him it is because there was not telegram, and takes him aside. Murdoch accuses him of setting the bombs himself, and when Clarence asks why, it's because he would get the insurance money. Brackenreid says that he reported the threats to throw suspicion of himself. Murdoch figures out that Clarence didn't actually know where the bombs were, and that's why he wanted them to find Amy before the bombs blew up. He had hired Neville Morton to set the bombs up. Brackenreid suggests that Clarence killed Neville, but he counters that by saying "Why would I kill him? He's the only one who knows where the bombs are." Murdoch believes he had an accomplice, Owen Mathers. There is a flashback to Neville Morton setting the bombs and then Owen coming up behind him with the screwdriver and killing him. Amy sees this and Owen knocks her out. Murdoch figures out that Owen was Clarence's parter and the only other person that knew about his finantial troubles. Owen had hired Neville to set the bombs. Clarence asks why he would kill her, and Brackenreid guesses it's because she saw what happened. Clarence wonders why the bombs were set early, and Murdoch figures that it was so the only other witness would go down with the ship. Just then, both Johnny and Owen approach them, and Clarence points to Owen and says that he knows where she is. A chase ensues, and Johnny grabs Owen, shaking him and pushing him down a flight of stairs, which kills him. They then consult the ship's maps again, wondering where Amy is hidden. They then hear a tapping noise which seems to be coming from within the walls. They figure out that she is in the bow cargo hold, which is currently filling with water. Back on the top deck, Julia is helping Elizabeth into a lifeboat, and she is blaming it all on herself because Amy knew her mother would never let her marry Johnny. Julia hears a bang and runs off in concern. Elizabeth steps out of the lifeboat. Johnny and Murdoch swim through the rapidly flooding boat and find the trunk Amy is in. Johnny takes her back to the dry part of the boat, where Brackenreid and Clarence are waiting. While this is happening a trunk falls on Murdoch, knocking him out. As they leave, Julia comes down, and asks Brackenreid where Murdoch is. He says that he is right behind him, but he isn't. Julia sees Murdoch's hat float by in the water and that prompts her to go for a swim to find her man. She finds him. Brackenreid returns to the entrance to the cargo, and yells for Murdoch and Julia. When they don't respond, he dives in too to help out. They bring him to the drier part, but Murdoch does not awake. Julia performs mouth to mouth resusitation on him, much to Brackenreid's onlooking disbelief. This works and Murdoch comes to. His first words are "I've lost my hat." Brackenreid goes and fishes it out with his cane. Back on the top deck, Amy reunites with her mother. Amy, Elizabeth, Murdoch, Johnny and Brackenreid are helped into lifeboats. Clarence refuses to board the lifeboat, and shares one last look with his wife before the the lifeboat is lowered. The ship is then seen going under the water. Sad music ensues. Back at the stationhouse, George is talking to three young men about the barrel. He repremands the boys, and Emily threatens them "If you have damaged Shelley...". They assure her they haven't and it was all just a fraternity prank. George tells them that if they scrub the stationhouse from top to bottom and write an apology to Annie Taylor, their parents needn't know about it. Once the men leave, George and Emily flirt with each other and come close to kissing. In the other parts of the stationhouse, Elizabeth is talking to Murdoch, Brackenreid and Julia about Clarence. She can't believe Clarence did this. She thanks them and leaves, along with Brackenreid. Murdoch turns to Julia and thanks her for saving his life again. They flirt a little too, and come very close to kissing until Brackenreid inturrupts them, saying that Julia never fails to surprise him. She explains about the resusitation, and Brackenreid just smiles, and leaves them to be. Character Revelations Continuity Historical References *There is a reference to the first Victoria Day (as the episode is set in May 1901) and Queen Victoria is mentioned. Trivia *The boat that they filmed on was actually called the SS Keewatin, although it didn't sink in real life and was actually built after 1901. Errors *When Amy is trapped in the trunk and water is rushing in, it is seen that she has a mouth gag on. When William and Julia save her, the cloth that was around her mouth is gone. It is possible she could have taken it off herself but as her hands were tied too, this is unlikely. (continuity) *Emily mentions that Annie Taylor had gone over the Niagara Falls recently at 63 years old. Given that the episode was set in May 1901, this is inaccurate as Annie Taylor went over the Falls in October 1901. (historical errors) *After Amy McFarlane is saved from a watery death in the hold, she goes to the lifeboats to be evacuated from the ship. Miraculously, her wet maid's uniform seems to have dried by the time she enters the lifeboat! (continuity) Cast Main Cast Yannick Bisson as William Murdoch Jonny Harris as George Crabtree Thomas Craig as Thomas Brackenreid Helene Joy as Julia Ogden Georgina Reilly as Emily Grace Recurring Cast Lachlan Murdoch as Henry Higgins Kristian Bruun as Slugger Jackson Guest Starring Miranda Millar as Amy MacFarlane Jane Moffatt as Elizabeth MacFarlane Ted Whittall as Clarence MacFarlane Wesley French as Johnny Chad Connell as Owen Mathers Susanna Fournier as Doreen Jarvis Jillian Cook as Annie Taylor Other Cast Eric Conroy as Ship Captain Micheal Brown as Telegraph Dispatcher Doug MacLeod as Linus Calvert Joel Rinzler as Annie Taylor's Manager Ryan Worster as Student Stephen Farrell as Steward #1 Lorn Eisen as Steward #2 References S.S. Keewatin James Gillies Death and the Maiden Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Gallery Category:Season Seven Category:Season Premieres